The Telltale Heart
by NightOfAThousandDreams
Summary: Words were stupid. That was one thing that Eva knew full well. All they did was spout out meaningless things, rise up hopes, then quickly crush them. Her solution? Crush those who hate her before they destroy her shell. TylerXEva


**My first Tyler/Eva oneshot! Yayz! Though I did reread this, and I'm worried that people might think that Eva's a bit OOC. That is not the case folks. I'm trying to give her a deeper personality, just kind of reach in and pull out who she really is...**

**Yes, I am aware that I can be extremely corny at times. But anyways, don't hesitate to R&R :D**

**~Hana**

She always did hate the pretty girls.

It wasn't that Lindsay ever did her wrong, oh no, the blonde was the sweetest girl in the show, except for perhaps Beth. But Eva still managed to dislike her somewhat. Not because of who she was, or because of her idiotic tendencies, or even because of her beauty. It was because she had managed to snag the one and only man Eva ever felt feelings for without doing anything. Tyler had glanced at Lindsay but once and was immediately enamored with her. He never noticed a certain brunette's sighing after him, her furious blushes every time he smiled at her.

Eva sighed as she jogged through the forest, her slick black hair getting soaked in the rain. Her look of indifference was plastered on her face, not letting the world know of the pain that she was feeling inside. How her heart ached, how she was getting tired of being pushed aside. She let herself smile, just a bit. It was quite funny in a way; in other circumstances, she would have _never_ thought that she would fall for a guy like Tyler. Of course, he was handsome and kind, but those weren't the main qualities she looked in a man. She had always imagined herself with someone tough, strong, and who knew how to take a challenge.

Tyler wasn't tough; in fact, Eva would say that he was the polar opposite, aside from DJ of course. He was always cheerful, ever the optomist. He was the one who helped peers to their feet when no one else made a move to come to their aide. The jock certainly wasn't good at sports, no matter how much he tried to fool himself. The tough girl chuckled to herself when she remembered his dramatic entrance at the beginning of the show. At the time, she had thought he was the biggest douche-bag on the planet. But his endurance...his determination to succeed even when others put him down, it amazed her. She had never witnessed such heart, such stubborness.

Eva grew to respect him...even though she knew that he would never give her a second glance.

She sighed, slowing down in stride and plopping on the ground, ignoring the rain that tumbled all around her. She was used to it. Her knee-high socks had rolled down a bit, revealing her muscular legs, lined with barely noticeable scars. Sports injuries, perhaps. At least, that's what she told people. She never told them about what _really_ went through her mind, why she was as bitter as she was. The truth was, Evana Sonia Maria Carmen Gonzales was not always as cynical as she was now. Her hazel eyes hardened as she bit her lip harshly, bidding her memories to go away...

The Spanish girl opened her eyes once more, her head leaning against the tree she was now resting upon. For a moment, she thought she saw a flash of red and white approach her, but soon came up with the conclusion that it was her mind playing tricks on her. Tyler wouldn't come looking for her. He didn't care for her. He was probably in the communal bathroom making out with that blonde-haired ditz at that very moment. Because she knew full well, no one cared enough about her to come and get her.

No one cared about the assertive one.

The muscular girl bit back rare tears, digging her hands into the bark of a tree, not feeling the splinters enter her flesh. No one cared. No one cared about her. She was the tough one, after all. She could handle herself, she could fight anything that came her way, right? She was a fitness gorilla, she wasn't supposed to have a heart. She wasn't supposed to cry. She wasn't supposed to feel anything but anger. Eva never heard the soft footsteps coming towards her. She never noticed the shadow looming over her broken form. She was too busy reliving what happened several hours ago:

-Flashback-

The athletic girl was outside the Killer Bass cabin, lifting her daily weights, ignoring everything that was going on around her. How she didn't see Heather sneak into the girls' section and make off with her diary, she would never know. But it happened. Eva, of course, was oblivious to this, as she thought she had made it clear to Heather that her stuff was off-limits after the MP3 incident. Eva chuckled, remembering how the little bitch thought she had gotten away with stealing her iPod, even though Eva had glanced at her just a second before her hand retracted from the floor.

She let her weights clutter to the ground as she took a break, grabbing the nearest water bottle and downing it heartily. The steps creaked, indicating that someone had sat next to her. She turned and broke into a snarl, before letting her face relax in embarrassment. The no-skill jock was sitting next to her, smiling that lovely smile of his. She felt her heart skip a beat.

"Hey!" he greeted her cheerfully, giving her a small wave. She let a small smiile escape her lips. "Hi." she responded curtly, turning away so he wouldn't be able to catch her blush.

He turned over to the abandoned weights and looked at them casually. "So uh, what's the max that you can lift?" he asked, using a feigned tough tone. She almost doubled over in laughter over how ridiculous he sounded. But he had asked her something about her skill, something that could swell up her pride and infatuation with him at the same time. "Um...160....maybe 180, lost count a long time ago," she responded, feeling a bit proud of herself.

Tyler gave a whistle, his brown eyes scanning over the dumbbells. "So uh, do you think I could lift them?" he asked coolly, almost as if he actually believed he could do it. Eva smirked and raised an eyebrow. "Be my guest," she told him, her grin never leaving her face.

He puffed out his chest and strided over to the weights, spitting into his hands and rubbing them together before gripping at the handles with determination. The black-haired girl leaned back, clearly amused at what was happening before her eyes. He sniffed before concentrating all of his strength towards his arms and successfully lifting the 140 pound dumbbell over his head. Eva's eyes widened in shock. He...he was actually pretty good! She felt her heart flutter. Not because this attracted her, oh no. It was because after all of his endurance and determination to be good at something he was just plain horrible at, he had finally succeeded. She didn't know why, but a wave of pride and happiness swept over her heart.

That is, before she noticed the brunette jock start to tip over towards her. Her eyes widened as the weight neared her head, barely dodging the thing before it made a large hole where her head was just a few moments ago. She winced at the thought, her body still frozen with shock. It was then when she realized that in all of the confusion, Tyler had somehow landed ontop of her, his eyes wide with apology and embarrassment. She blushed a bit before letting out a small chuckle, which soon evolved into hearty laughter. The headband-wearing boy cocked his head in confusion before joining in her fit of joy. They didn't bother to move...it just seemed so..._comical_.

A loud screech jolted throughout the campsite, making the two shoot up in surprise. "Hello fellow contestants of Total Drama Island!" a familiar cheery, yet visciously enraging voice erupted through the loudspeaker. "This is Heather with a _very_ important announcement concerning our favorite fitness gorilla, Eva!"

Said fitness buff snarled before climbing to her feet, attempting to stomp over to the queen bee and snap her head off, before she realized she had absolutely no idea where she was. She clenched her fist until her knuckles became white. It enraged her that she was about to be put down and there was nothing she could do about it. But still, it couldn't be that bad. Words never really hurt her. She was one of the few people on the earth that was able to shrug off the stinging blows and just knock out the person who dared to annoy her. Actions, however, could hurt her. They could penetrate her _deeply_.

"Ahem!" The loudspeaker broke Eva out of her thoughts. Her eyes narrowed into dangerous slits, just daring Heather to continue whatever she was planning. Obviously Heather didn't see the look of malice.

"It has just been brought to my attention that the psycho-fitness freak isn't as tough as she likes you to think. Well, at least that's what her diary tells me."

Eva felt the color drain from her face. _No.._

"'Dear Diary...today, I just joined the most idiotic competition on the face of the planet...'" The queen bee paused with a sneer. "No, that's already established."

"Hey!" Chris called out at Heather from his beach chair.

"Hm...ah! Here's a good one. 'Dear Diary, I just don't know why I like him. He's clueless, weak, and a klutz. But his drive...his enthusiasm even though he clearly sucks...it's hard to ignore. I have to admit, Tyler's somebody I'd have to look up too.'"

Eva's face started to burn considerably.

"But he's already crushing on that pretty dumb princess, Lindsay. Ugh! Why does this keep happening to me? I thought it would stop with Ricardo, but I guess every guy is the same...pretty faces and big boobs are what win them over. Speaking of Ricardo, I got a text message from him today. He called me a loser. Really, I should pummel his skull until there's nothing left to smash! Because of that fucking idiot, my quinceanera was ruined, I cut off half my hair, and I always feel like I have to freaking cut myself! But that's all he does, talk. That's not what bothers me. It's the fact that he told me that he loved me, took my first kiss and even went as my consuelo**[1]** at my quince, and somehow, still managed to screw a girl in the bathroom on the same day without blinking an eye. That's what makes me want to kill him. To smash him. To castrate him slowly and painfully...

'"But that's beside the point. The point is, I'm in love with Tyler, the type of guy I never in my dreams thought I'd like. But why would he like me? When there's a blonde, big-chested daddy's girl after him? I'm screwed.'"

A chuckle echoed throughout the deathly quiet camp. "That's for threatening me, Eva." Heather said with a sneer. "Toodle-loo!"

Tyler, who was standing next to her, gave her a blank expression. "You...._like_ me?" he asked, his tone somewhat wavered. Eva felt that it was a repulsed tone. She didn't blame him. As Ricardo once told her, "All you got goin' for you is your boobs. Show'em off more, you fitness freak." Everything after that was a blur. She didn't remember much as she tore through the trees, silent tears streaking down her face. She hated her....she hated that damn popular witch! Oh, how much she wanted to do something horrible, something _painful_ to the snobby little princess. But for once, something other than rage swept through her being.

She felt rejected. After months of concealing herself in a protective cocoon, she could already feel herself unwinding. Becoming exposed to the cruel world around her. The truth was, she wasn't always the tough girl. She once had a heart. But circumstances stomped all feelings away from her...until she met him.

And now, he hated her.

-End Flashback-

It had begun to rain sometime after she started to run blindly across the forest, but it didn't slow her down. And now, as the drops became heavier and heavier, she felt her tears mingle with them. It had been a long time since she had allowed herself to cry. A _very_ long time. She briefly remembered looking at her reflection dully, almost a year ago. She remembered grasping the scissors in her hands. She remembered chopping off her beautiful raven hair wildly, taking out her anger in a frenzy. Eva's heart hardened that day...the day that was supposed to be of joy was the beginning of her endless workouts, obsessive thoughts about staying fit...and pushing all of her memories into the back of her mind. She wouldn't be hurt again, she told herself. How foolish she had been.

Eva let out a harsh gasp as she felt somebody hesitantly touch her shoulder. She whirled around, a dark sneer radiating across her face. It softened a bit when she realized that it was Tyler. "Oh...it's you..." she muttered. "Look, I know you hate me, so it would be better for the both of us if you just skipped the sympathy shit and just told me what you really felt."

Tyler blinked, his eyes wide with confusion. "Eva, I don't hate you..." he said in surprise, taking a step closer to her. However, with that step, the jock inexplicably tripped over nothing, landing right next to the fitness buff. He looked up, rubbing the swelling bump on his head. "I don't hate you!" he repeated, shifting himself closer to her.

Eva rolled her eyes. "Okay, you don't hate me. What did you really want to say to me?" she asked bluntly. The jock rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "Well...okay look. It's true...I liked Lindsay... alot. But..." he trailed off, looking into space thoughtfully as he remembered the past few days' happenings:

-**Flashback-**

Tyler flexed his muscles proudly, feeling an overwhelming flood of pride wash over him as Lindsay gasped in delight. "Oh wow Taylor! That's really amazing!" she gushed, batting her eyelashes.

The jock sighed and shook his head. "I'm _Tyler_, Lindsay," he clarified gently. But she was already distracted by a butterfly, chasing after it merrily. "Tyler, let's go follow the butterfly!" the blonde squealed happily, dragging a very annoyed Noah away from his book. The real Tyler felt his hopes collapse in shock. How could she not know who he was?! He glanced over at Justin, who was flirting with a flushing Beth. Well, _they_ seemed to be getting along well, even though they were probably the least likely couple here. Well, besides Ezekiel and Izzy, who rushed past him on a vine, with Izzy cackling maniacally and Ezekiel screeching for help.

His eyes wandered over to Eva, who was doing pull-ups on a tree branch. He never really got a chance to talk to her, though from what he gathered, she could be pretty scary when angered. But still, he was curious. He approached her, watching her as she finished her work-out and plop on the floor mindlessly, carrying a bag of weights towards her cabin. She didn't notice him as he followed her circling around the back and into the forest. There, she sat down, took a piece of paper and pencil out, and began to sketch. That surprised the jock; he didn't really see Eva as an artsy person, so to speak. But there she was, doodling away in the middle of the forest, where she thought she was alone.

It was amazing how a frown could disintegrate so easily. As she sketched in the light, he felt something inside of him start pounding. Her hair was falling out of her tight pony-tail, surrounding her face limply. The look of disinterest was gone; her face held a more serene feeling, calmness, as if she was at peace in her own little world. Tyler felt himself go weak in the knees. He had definetely learned his lesson...never judge a book by its cover.

It suddenly occured to him why he even _liked_ Lindsay; sure, she was pretty, hot, and sweet as a candy bar, but she didn't really hold anything of interest to him. He realized that if they did get together, they wouldn't be very compatible...nothing that she liked interested him, and he was sure that she wasn't into sports that much. And of course, he had caught her glancing over to Noah several times. Maybe she thought that his name was Tyler and that was why she was always mixing everyone up, he had no clue.

But as he watched Eva smile softly as she held her work in front of her, he suddenly wanted to know everything about her. She was beautiful, in his eyes, and her athletic abilities only strengthened his attraction to her. And so for the next few days, he followed her around when she wasn't looking, trying build up the courage to approach her and make conversation. But through those days, he found out different things about her. He found out how she would sometimes cry when she was alone in the woods, but come back as if she was just taking a stroll. He noticed that when she became enraged with others, her eyes would just scream out in hurt and pain. As if she took everything personally, to heart.

His attraction to her deepened, and a bond was formed. Somehow, he wanted to just become her friend, or maybe something more. She clearly didn't have any, besides Izzy, who was too busy torturing Ezekiel to really pay attention to what was going on around her. He wanted to give her a shoulder to cry on, friend to confide to...maybe even a boyfriend to kiss.

In those short few days, he fell in love with her.

-End Flashback-

Tyler wasn't sure how to put his feelings towards her in words....they seemed so useless, so meaningless. He didn't know what to do...he was flustered, confused. Slowly, he took her hand into his own, kissing it softly. The rain had become harder, soaking each of them to the bone. Tears were welling up in his eyes. Was this supposed to happen when one was trying to comfort the other? Maybe they were sharing the same heart.

She looked confused, her hazel eyes losing their hardness. She didn't know what to say. The words died in the back of her throat. His thumb ran across her knuckles as he glanced up at her in honest affection. Words...they didn't matter. They would never matter.

Slowly, their lips touched, if only for a second, before she tore away with a huff. Her eyes were full of tears, her teeth grinding in frustration as he gently pulled her face back towards him. She looked at him for a second before pouncing on top of him, passionately kissing him, telling him how much he meant to her, her savage liplocking pushing them both onto the earth below them. He widened his eyes in surprise, hesitantly giving her access, not accustomed at such violence. Pulling away, she looked at him and gave a small smirk. Though beyond that smug look, he saw geniune happiness in her eyes.

They seemed to say,

"Thank you".


End file.
